The present invention relates to a protocol/medical image registration method, a medical image provision method, a protocol utilization method, a protocol/medical image registration system, a medical image provision system, a protocol utilization system, a vendor terminal, a user terminal, and a protocol management server. More specifically, the present invention relates to a protocol/medical image registration method that permits centralized management of pairs of a protocol and a medical image, a medical image provision method that provides a user terminal with a medical image, a protocol utilization method that permits numerous user terminals to share protocols as common resources. Moreover, the present invention relates to systems in which the protocol/medical image registration method, medical image provision method, and protocol utilization method are implemented, and a vendor terminal, a user terminal, and a protocol management server to be adapted to the systems.
In general, sophisticated medical diagnostic imaging systems including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and an X-ray computed tomography (CT) system require setting of complex conditions for imaging which are referred to as a protocol. For example, in the case of the MRI system, a pulse sequence-related imaging technique such as the fast spin echo (FSE) technique, gradient echo (GE) technique, echo planar imaging (EPI) technique, or fast recovery fast spin echo (FRFSE) technique is set as a protocol. Otherwise, imaging parameters including a longitudinal relaxation time (T1), a transverse relaxation time (T2), a repetition time (TR), and an echo time (TE) are set as a protocol.
Conventionally, for every scanning, a physician or a paramedic manually enters a protocol in a medical diagnostic imaging system or sets a protocol, which is read from a portable storage medium, therein.
The problems described below underlie the foregoing conventional protocol setting method.
(1) It is labor-intensive and time-consuming to manually enter a protocol or procure a portable storage medium on which the latest protocol is saved.
(2) It takes much time to find out a protocol suitable for a region to be scanned (for example, the brain, heart, or lung) or a purpose of use (for example, identification of a tumor, discovery of morphologic abnormality, or assessment of perfusion). This is inefficient.
(3) Even if a protocol of great use value is devised, it is hard to share the protocol with other physicians and paramedics.